by Stephanie O'Neill

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In California, 63 percent of workers have employer-provided health insurance. A new study from the non-profit California Healthcare Foundation indicates that employees in this state are paying more money for less coverage.

Insurance benefits for workers at a quarter of California’s businesses diminished while the co-payments, deductibles and premiums for their share of the employer-sponsored health care insurance rose.

The foundation’s 2011 California Employer Health Benefits Survey found that premiums for employer-provided health insurance have risen more than 153 percent since 2002. That’s more than five times the rate of inflation in the state.

The study also noted that California employers pay far more for worker health care than the national average. They contribute, on average, more than $5,000 a year for single employees and nearly $12,000 a year for family coverage.

In the last couple of years, the number of employers that offer insurance has dropped by 10 percent. What’s more, the survey found that 36 percent of the companies that provide medical insurance for workers say they’re likely this year to shift more of the premium costs to their employees.